Snowed In
by Qu0thTheRaven
Summary: A/U - The Avengers are high school students. When a snow storm hits, they're trapped inside with limited materials and only each other for company. Things look bleak for this group of strangers, but who knows - a lot can happen in one night. Friendships and fun, following the misadventures of Tony, Clint, Nat, Wanda, Steve, and Peggy. T for swearing. Short, fun story.
1. High School

Natasha Romanoff was a senior. She sat towards the front of the class, slumped into her seat, a hoodie pulled over her red hair. Despite looking careless, her alert eyes were trained on the teacher, analyzing and memorizing every word that left his mouth.

Beside her sat Clint Barton. Most people would call them best friends; they never left each other's sides. He looked careless as well, except much less alert than his friend; he had headphones in, music blasting at a volume that most of the class could hear, but nobody commented.

Clint looked down at his unused notebook, his strong hands pulling at the metal binding. There were students around him; most of them just as bored. A group of sophomore girls behind him were being obnoxious, and a glance to the side confirmed Natasha's annoyance. Her jaw was clenched, her shoulders tense. Clint smirked at her teasingly, telling her to calm down with his eyes; her glare only got more intense. A laugh escaped his lips and he pulled his headphones out of his ears, about to say something when the bell rang, signifying the class's dismissal. "Thank God," he muttered instead, shoving his notebook into his backpack and shouldering it as he stood. Natasha did the same, then grabbed his wrist and pulled him alongside her as she rushed out of the classroom. As soon as they were out of earshot of any teachers or giggling girls, she exploded with pent up rage.

"I don't understand why can't shut the hell up!" she exclaimed, waving her hands in the air angrily. "All semester, they're driving me mad, Clint. I want to go one day without hearing ridiculous comments about Tony Stark and Steve Rogers," she said the names as if they were poisonous. As if on cue, the two boys mentioned passed them in the hall; Tony turned at the mention of his name, but kept walking; he was probably used to it, Clint thought with a laugh. Billionaire's son. "It's so superficial. They're only liked because they're rich, or strong."

Clint shook his head, listening carefully to his friend although he didn't agree. "They're actually cool guys," he commented, though admittedly a little afraid to disagree with Natasha. "Stark's an ass, but he's smart. And Steve's a nice guy." He shut up once he got another glare from Natasha.

"Why don't you just join those girls if you love them so much?" she muttered, annoyed. He grinned at the idea, amused, opening his mouth as if to agree when she muttered "shut up." They stepped out of the school doors, then slowed to a stop. Clint had Archery; Natasha didn't have a class that hour.

"I'll see you later. Don't kill any sophomores," Clint warned good-naturedly, then grinned. "Especially not the blonde. I heard her say I had nice shoulders the other day." The comment earned him a whack to the arm, and he laughed, stepping away from his friend.

"See you, Barton," Natasha returned, not being able to hold back a grin of her own despite her outburst. Clint could always make her laugh.

She gave a wave before turning and walking in the direction of her house, pocketing her hands. It didn't take long for someone to fall into step with her; she didn't look for several moments, thinking someone was trying to pass her. When they didn't, she glanced at the person; low and behold, it was Tony Stark.

Tony was taller than her, though not as tall as Clint. He had messy dark hair and brown eyes with thick lashes; that, alone, was enough to make people swoon. Despite his carefree attitude, he always had some sophistication to him, like an aura of importance. Natasha recognized that he was good-looking, but it didn't effect her very much.

"Do you need something?" she asked in a low voice, confused by his presence. They were in the same grade, but rarely spoke, so she didn't understand the sudden interest. He looked at her with smiling eyes; she held back rolling her own.

"I heard you talking about me a few minutes ago," Tony replied smugly, shrugging a shoulder. He watched her carefully, not shy or bashful in the slightest. "Care to elaborate?"

Natasha snorted. "I don't need to explain myself to you," she replied stubbornly, looking away from him. The entire situation wasn't worth her time. She had to be home soon so she wouldn't miss her Self Defense classes, and talking to Tony Stark of all people was the last thing she'd like to do with her time.

Tony grinned, finally looking away from Nat and out to the street in front of him. "I'll take the liberty of assuming you were talking about a crush, then," he said slyly, and received an eye roll in return. He slowed to a stop when they reached the parking lot, pulling out his keys and motioning to his luxurious car. "I can give you a ride home, Natalie," he offered, clearly trying to impress her with the vehicle.

Natasha didn't stop walking. "Not my name," she said dully, and continued home without a glance back. Tony frowned a little bit, not used to the overwhelming lack of response to his flirting, though he wasn't upset or anything. He'd have to get to know her, he decided, before boarding his car.

Nat appreciated the newfound silence.

* * *

The next day, Clint and Natasha sat at lunch in the cafeteria talking over their plates, along with their friend Wanda, who was a junior. Natasha was in the midst of telling them about yesterday's encounter with the school's very own playboy billionaire.

"He tried to offer me a ride home," she described with a laugh, leaning back in her seat, obviously very amused as she remembered what happened. "And then he called me Natalie."

Clint snickered as he unwrapped a brownie. "Smooth," he commented with a grin. "Bet you were all over him after that one."

Wanda listened carefully, smiling throughout the story. "He seems like an ass," she stated after a moment, cursing uncharacteristically, and Natasha nodded in solemn agreement. Then, Wanda's eyes widened slightly, and Natasha turned to see what had caught her attention.

"Shit, he's coming," Clint laughed louder than was appropriate. It was true; Pietro, Wanda's twin brother, was heading over, followed by Tony. The boys didn't hesitate to take seats at the table, which wasn't abnormal for Pietro, who visited often. Tony, however, was an obvious newcomer.

"What're you doing here?" Wanda asked shyly, embarrassed that her brother had brought along Tony of all people.

Pietro gave a grin and a wave. "Tony said he wanted to say hey, so we're here." The two boys casually set up their lunches as if invited, talking between themselves. Stark made no effort to introduce himself; in fact, several minutes passed before he spoke to anyone other than Pietro.

"Natasha," he said suddenly, and her head turned to looked at him. "Not Natalie. Sorry - I got a little bit of misinformation," he excused with a grin, still no embarrassment or shame to be seen. Natasha just nodded, not really knowing what else to say.

Pietro spoke for the rest of the lunch session, bragging about breaking various school records in Track. That was one of the reasons he didn't sit with them usually; his life revolved around Track, and the others knew nothing about it. He belonged with his teammates. Stark tried to engage in the conversation, but he didn't seem to be athletically inclined either. He spent the rest of lunch quiet, except for a few times when he spoke to the girls at the table behind theirs. Wanda picked at her food, wishing her brother would leave them alone.

Once the dismissal bell rang, Clint and Nat headed for their next hour. They sat at the very back of the room, where they could talk and be ignored by the teacher.

"He came to correct himself," Clint commented, watching Natasha's expression carefully. "Must have hurt his pride." She grimaced, not looking at him.

"He just gave me an excuse. We've had, like, three classes together," she protested with a scoff. "There's no reason he should get my name wrong. At least he didn't hit on me again."

"He doesn't seem that bad," he tried to reason. "But I'll still kick his ass if he keeps bothering you."

"I'll kick it myself," she grinned, nudging Clint fondly. "Don't worry about him... he'll shove off eventually.

* * *

Stark didn't shove off.

In fact, he seemed to grow quite attached to the group. He sat with them at lunch the next day, even though Pietro didn't. The day after, he brought a friend.

"Steve Rogers," the muscled boy introduced himself, smiling kindly. He was blond, blue eyed, strong jawed, looking like he belonged in a completely different crowd. And he did - yet he looked perfectly comfortable sitting with them. Wanda gave him a shy smile in return, and Clint waved half-heartedly. Natasha didn't react; she kept her eyes on an assignment she had due later.

Stark grasped Steve's shoulder, grinning. "My right-hand man. I'm the brains, he's the brawn." Steve brushed Tony's hand away, though he laughed. They seemed to be good friends.

"Brains?" Natasha muttered under her breath. Clint was the only one to hear it, and his smirk showed it.

The table went silent as everyone ate or studied. Despite the new arrivals, everything felt very comfortable. Even Wanda, who was usually very quiet around new people, had grown used to Stark, and was already fond of Steve; she had a class with him, and they shared notes sometimes.

When the bell signaled that lunch was over, Clint, Natasha, and Wanda stayed behind to talk. "Now we have three idiots at the table," Natasha groaned as she packed up her bag, glancing slyly at Clint, who shot back a light glare.

"Steve's not an idiot," Wanda protested quietly, her accented voice very gentle. "I promise. He's a quarterback, but he's a good guy. He's artsy; his notes always have doodles on them."

"And Stark?" Clint questioned, curious about Wanda's opinion. She was always the peacemaker.

"He's... different. I don't know much about him. But he hasn't hit on anyone since he's been sitting here," she replied hopefully. "I don't know why he's been sitting here, though."

Clint knew. If he was anything, he was watchful; and he noticed that Tony constantly glanced behind him at one of the tables. At first, Clint had scoffed, thinking he was flirting with an entire group of girls sitting there. But then he noticed that one strawberry blond was always the center of Stark's attention.

Natasha spoke up after a second. "I don't know, either. But Steve didn't talk about football the whole time, so... he's okay. For a jock," she said quickly, like she hated herself for saying it. She genuinely liked Steve, and was glad that her opinion on him had changed. Perhaps she had been too quick to judge.

The tardy bell rang, and Clint said a vulgar curse, the kind that made Natasha burst out laughing and that brought a red tint to Wanda's pale cheeks. Then they split up and headed to class.


	2. Snow?

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* * *

Tony and Steve walked to their next class after lunch together. Tony looked bummed out, his shoulders slumped and his hands buried in his pockets.

"Did you see? She barely even looked at me," Tony complained, his dark hair falling in his eyes.

"Maybe if you'd done more than ask for a ketchup pack," Steve commented helpfully, stepping out of the way to let someone pass him, then catching up with Tony. "She'd have done more talking. What's up with that, anyway?"

"I don't know!" Stark replied, exasperated. "She's poisoned me or something. And it's not like you helped either - her other friend was practically fawning over you," he muttered angrily. Steve's ears turned pink, and Tony sighed and stopped talking, absorbed in his thoughts.

Once they were in class, Steve spoke up. "The guys at the table we sat at, though, they're pretty cool." He dutifully began the assignment they were given as he spoke.

"Them? I guess," Stark replied indifferently, tapping his fingers on the table. His mind was elsewhere. "Maybe I should throw a party, and invite her. You think she'd come?"

"I think the last place in the world that that girl would go to is one of your parties. What's her name again?"

"Virginia Potts," he said with uncharacteristic quietness. Internally, he almost slapped himself. He felt ridiculous; girls never had that effect on him. Just days ago he'd been his flirtatious self, and now he'd been reduced to this _mess_.

Steve was silent for several moments before smirking, not taking his eyes off his paper. "Stark, you're whipped."

Tony didn't even protest. He put his head down on his arms and groaned.

* * *

Natasha stared dreadfully at the clock. Every second felt like years, and the teacher's boring voice made her feel miserable. Clint seemed to be doing his best to piss her off, too - he was fully engaged in conversation with the obnoxious girls behind them. They giggled ten times more than usual, and the flirting going on was practically tangible. Nat hated sophomores, but at that moment, she hated Clint even more.

When the bell finally rang and she and Clint were in the hall, he made several attempts to speak to her. Her glare was unwavering and her jaw was clamped shut, which only seemed to add to his amusement. She only spoke to him when she asked if he'd drive her home after his archery class, since it was too cold for her to walk.

"Sure," Clint said simply, smiling victoriously since he had gotten her to speak to him. Natasha fumed silently, not responding.

Once at the archery range, which was set up in the gym today due to the raging snow outside, Clint left to get set up for his class. Natasha laid down on one of the gym mats, put her headphones in, and closed her eyes, waiting for the class to end.

When she opened her eyes, she noticed two things. The first - she had drifted off to sleep while she was waiting. The second - the gym was empty other than Clint, who was shooting arrows indifferently. He was coated in a thin layer of sweat, eyes unwavering from the board he shot at, expression frustrated as he tried to get a shot dead center but couldn't quite succeed.

Nat stood up, taking her headphones out and running her hand through her hair. "Hey - Clint, where is everyone?" she asked. Her voice echoed through the empty gym.

Clint looked at her, then around the gym. "I stayed a few minutes past class to practice..." a glance at his watch and a curse later, he continued sheepishly, "guess I lost track of time." School had let out over an hour ago.

"You think?" Natasha complained angrily, crossing her arms. "You're so lucky I don't have my defense class today, or I would've actually murdered you."

Clint stuck his tongue out obnoxiously, to which Natasha rolled her eyes. He jogged off to get changed and showered, and Natasha waited by the gym doors. The school was eerily silent, which set her on edge. She had a bad feeling, but tried to shove it aside.

The feeling subsided a little when Clint returned, finished getting dressed and showered, but she was still a little anxious as they walked towards the front doors. Clint noticed, but didn't comment, just glancing around the school suspiciously, digging through his bag for a granola bar.

Everything was fine until Natasha tried to push the doors open. They didn't budge.

It was then that she realized that the white she saw through the door's little window wasn't the sky. It was snow.

They both stared at the door for several moments before realizing that the snow had piled up that high, blocking the exists. They were stuck there.

"Shit," Clint cursed, trying to force the door open himself. " _Shit_ , Nat, my car's out there," he complained.

Natasha stared at him for a moment in shock, but then she grinned, stepping away from the doors. "Serves you right," she muttered happily, which earned her a sharp look. Clint started to reply but was interrupted by an announcement from the PA system.

A nervous voice echoed through the halls; "If there's anyone still in the school, please go to the cafeteria immediately. The situation will be dealt with as soon as possible." Then the voice was gone, leaving them in complete silence.

"Is this seriously happening?" Clint said as they started for the cafeteria. "Are we going to die here? Of all places?"

"I'm more likely to kill you than the storm if you won't shut up," Natasha shot back. Clint bumped her shoulder with his.

"How're you gonna kill me? You're like four feet tall."

"Clint Barton, I swear to God."

* * *

The cafeteria was empty except for a handful of people when Nat and Clint arrived.

As soon as they walked in, they were approached by two adults. Clint recognized the vice principal, Mr. Coulson. He'd been sent to his office more than enough times.

The other adult was Ms. Hill. She taught a software class, a class Natasha had taken her freshman year. The woman didn't say much, but she took the kids' names and their parents' phone numbers before stepping off elsewhere.

Mr. Coulson gave a strained smile and motioned the two students towards a table that was half-full of other students. "Please stay here while we can sort through this. We'll try to make contact with your parents; phone lines seem to be down, though..." Natasha frowned and checked her phone; there was no signal. The vice principal then stepped away to where Ms. Hill had gone.

"This sucks," Natasha mumbled, taking her backpack off as she sat down.

"Yeah," Clint agreed, doing the same. As he chewed on his granola bar, he looked around at the others at the table; he recognized some of them. Steve Rogers was there, and Tony Stark, and a brunette he didn't know.

A few seconds later, he felt someone take a seat beside him; looking over, he saw it was Wanda. He grinned at her, and put an arm around her shoulder. She smiled back warmly at her friend, and leaned forward to wave at Natasha, who sat on Clint's other side. "Hi!" Wanda said excitedly, ever the optimist. "I thought I was stuck here alone."

Natasha grinned, clearly happy to see her friend here. "Thank God; I thought I was stuck with _this_ _one_." She nodded her head towards Clint, who scoffed offendedly and put his other arm around Nat.

"I'm glad you two love me so much," Clint said sarcastically, and in response both girls shrugged his hands off their shoulders. He rolled his eyes.

A voice across the table caught their attention; "Hey, guys," Steve said with a small smile. He nudged Tony, who glanced at the trio and nodded before going back to furiously trying to get his phone to get a signal. Natasha stared at the pile of parts that probably used to be _inside_ the phone; what was he doing? She decided not to ask.

The table then went silent as the kids processed the situation they were in. Trapped inside a high school, for God knows how much longer - away from their warm beds and parents. So many questions needed to be answered - would they be able to eat? Would the exits be cleared that day, or would they have to sleep there? The school was colder than usual, and that probably wouldn't improve as night came. Wanda rubbed her bare arms, trying to calm the goosebumps on her skin as she looked around at the people on her table. She missed her brother, but she tried to convince herself that being here wouldn't be so bad.


	3. All Around

Mr. Coulson came to address the kids after they had waited for about a half hour. It was almost six o'clock; most of the kids were hungry for dinner at this point, although no one complained. The man looked weary as he stood at the end of the table, his hands folded neatly in front of him.

"We found a phone line that still worked; we've called your parents and let them know you're all okay. We also called the city; the roads are all blocked, and they're having trouble getting anywhere, so..." Mr. Coulson sighed. "It looks like we're going to be here for a while. It also looks like the lunch ladies threw everything out for the weekend, so if you're hungry, the vending machine is functional, at least." Tony Stark muttered something along the lines of "sweet, candy and soda for dinner."

"Also," the vice principal said seriously. "Do not leave the cafeteria, okay? We don't know if the whole school is safe with the weather this way, among other things, so just stay here." He gave one last pointed look before stepping away from the group towards the makeshift office he and Ms. Hill had set up.

A silence hung over the group for the next few minutes. Tony Stark had begun to take apart a graphing calculator, looking for something specific in its midst. The unknown brunette stood, motioning for Steve to follow her, and he did.

The others didn't know her, but her name was Margaret (Peggy for short), and she and Steve were really good friends. They made playful small talk as they walked towards some of the vending machines in the hallway. Peggy stopped in front of one and began to trade dollar bills for soda bottles, piling them in Steve's arms one by one until she had six. She then stepped over to the next vending machine and scanned the assortments of chips. "You holding up okay?" she questioned, referring to the weight of the bottles.

"Fine," Steve brushed off with a smile. "I'm just glad to help." Peggy looked back at him with a smile and piled the bunch of chips bags she had bought into her own arms, heading back towards the others. They walked in a comfortable silence to the table, where Peggy set the bags down gently then helped take the bottles out of Steve's arms.

Happy praise rose from the others at the table, who each took a soda pop and a chip bag to their liking as they thanked Peggy and Steve. Natasha and Clint argued over the only Dr. Pepper for a few minutes before Natasha won, victoriously taking a sip as Clint angrily popped open a 7-Up.

Stark was still furiously at work until he suddenly put down the tools he was using and help up his phone victoriously. "Got it!" he said excitedly, but the phone whirred loudly and shut down as if on cue. "Shit," he cursed, staring at his device sadly, lowering his arm.

"You've damaged it?" Peggy spoke up as she opened a pack of Lay's. Tony looked at her in surprise, then nodded. "That's unfortunate. What were you trying to do?"

"Just try to rewire the phone to pick up signals from a farther distance, assuming the cell phone towers were the problem, but I think I screwed up the LED... hopefully. Then it's not an internal issue, but it sure didn't sound like the LED..." Tony huffed in frustration, tossing the phone down on the table. His eyes then narrowed. "Wait, who're you?" The question came off as ruder than he had intended.

"Peggy Carter," she introduced herself, the very opposite of shy or offended at his abrupt question, "and I know who _you_ are. I don't know the rest of you, though - besides Steve - but it's nice to meet you all."

"I'm Wanda," the girl spoke up with a smile, very appreciative of Peggy getting them the sodas and chips. She pulled the sleeves of her jacket over her palms as she motioned to the two sitting beside her. "And this is Natasha and Clint. Are you a junior too? I think we've had a class together."

Peggy nodded with a grin. "Yes, I remember. Only a little; you're a very quiet person, if I recall correctly." The comment made Wanda blush, hiding the bottom of her face behind her sleeves, though she tried to be subtle about it.

"Are you British?" Tony interrupted, leaning his elbows on the table, his eyes narrowing at the girl in front of him. "Or is that accent fake?"

"It's not fake," Peggy defended hotly, crossing her arms, reprimanding the rude boy. "I grew up in London. Who are you to call _me_ fake?" Stark immediately backed off, holding his hands up, looking a little ashamed.

Natasha grinned, impressed that she could shut Tony up, and decided that she liked Peggy. She leaned forward to get a better look at her, then decided to strike up a conversation. "How'd you end up stuck here, Peggy?"

Peggy gave a little shrug, pushing her practical, short hair behind her ear. "I usually stick around to wait for my brother to pick me up after he's done with college, but he was late today," she answered, a tiny smile showing off her perfect teeth. "What about you?"

Natasha took a drink from her soda before answering. "This idiot," she kicked Clint's foot, "was supposed to drive me home after his archery class, but he lost track of time."

"What if you had walked home? I practically saved your life," the blond boy protested, though obviously far from angry - Clint was always laughing, always joking around. "And you got the Dr. Pepper, so stop complaining." Natasha just shook her head in response.

"I had to make up a test with Ms. Hill," Wanda pitched in softly, looking down at her hands with a guilty sigh; she felt bad that she got the teacher stuck here. She went quiet again after that, and it was a few moments before anyone else spoke.

"Robotics," Tony offered, leaning back in his chair with crossed arms. "Everyone else went home, but I had the greatest idea for a robot that could set broken bones without professional assistence..."

"They let you do that?" Clint asked in surprise. He hadn't taken Tony as the robotics type, but after the phone fiasco, he figured the guy had to know something about technology.

"No," Tony scoffed. "As far as anyone else knows, I'm building a toaster. So keep it under wraps, okay?" The rest of the group decided not to question it, nodding in response. Tony gave a sly grin, then turned to Steve, who had been quiet the entire time. "So, what're you in for, big guy?"

Steve looked up from his chip bag, surprised. "Me? Oh... I was in the weight lifting room..." The response earned him an eye-roll from Natasha, and he looked back down at his food with a little bit of embarrassment. Natasha studied him carefully, not having missed the odd response. She felt a little guilt, but brushed it off.

Once the chips had been reduced to crumbs, everyone kind of lounged around, playing on whatever offline games they had on their phones. Nat and Clint propped their legs up on each other's chairs (to which Clint complained about Natasha's lack of height again). Nobody would let Stark borrow their phones, so he leaned his head back boredly, fidgeting from lack of excitement. After only a few minutes, he stood, unable to handle it anymore.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm not staying in here until they get us out," he protested, already starting to head for the door. The others stared after him in shock, but nobody considered following until Natasha stood, also itching to get out of the same spot.

"Natasha, what're you -" Wanda sighed, throwing his hands up. "Mr. Coulson specifically said not to leave."

Nat turned, walking backwards towards the door, flipping her friend off jokingly. "You're gonna stop me?" she challenged them with a grin, to which Clint rolled his eyes and reluctantly stood, feeling obligated to follow. As soon as he stood, Wanda did also, not wanting to lose track of her close friends. They caught up to Nat and walked alongside her, talking among themselves with hushed yet excited whispers.

Steve and Peggy realized they were the only two left, looking at each other and then down at the table. Steve spoke first.

"We should probably-"

"-Yeah," Peggy cut off, giving him a smile and then standing up with him. They walked quickly for the door to catch up with the rest of the group.

Mr. Coulson came over to check on the kids a few minutes later only to find nothing but a pile of backpacks and empty chip bags. "Damn it," he cursed under his breath, pinching the bridge of the nose with frustration. He shouldn't have expected any less from that group.

* * *

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	4. In Costume

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* * *

All six kids walked side by side down the hall.

If one looked at them all, one would first notice the difference in each individual. Tony was confident and carried himself strongly, even arrogantly; Steve was also confident but much more modest, keeping his chin down respectfully as he walked, looking like he towered over the others. Peggy and Natasha were the most similar. They were strong and unbothered, and they spoke to each other with no boundaries or shame, each girl firing back responses as quickly as the other would answer. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that Natasha was much more subtle and analytical, her voice very calm and her comments manipulative, while Peggy was up-front and direct, her responses harsh like knives. It didn't take long for the girls to find something to clash on, which ended their conversation in harsh silence. Clint was relaxed, hanging behind the others, and had his typical mischievous smirk on his face, his stride very carefree. Beside him, Wanda walked shyly and constantly fixed the length of her skirt, her long hair falling in front of her gentle eyes often.

The second thing one would notice about the group is how well they all fit together, despite those differences. They seemed to support each other well, balancing the extremes of each character. It was a good team, though they didn't know it yet. They still weren't very comfortable around each other.

Tony stopped suddenly, causing everyone else to slow down as well, looking at him with questioning expressions. He walked up to a fancy, unmarked door and tried to open it, but it was locked. "What's in here?" he wondered out loud, trying to force it open, but it was very sturdy.

"Storage, I think," Wanda answered softly. "Why?"

"Because I want to check it out," Stark replied like it was obvious, glancing back at the girl, who looked away bashfully.

Clint stepped forward. "I'm good with locks," he offered, and Tony side-stepped, allowing him to take over. Clint knelt down in front of the locks and took a beat-up bobby pin out of his pocket, starting to mess with the lock to get it to open.

The team watched with amazement once the lock clicked and the door creaked open, and Clint bowed dramatically before stepping through the door. One by one, they followed Clint into the dark room. Peggy found the light switch first and flipped the lights on.

"Woah," Steve commented, looking around. The others murmured in agreement.

The room was vast, but it was very crowded. There were stalls, and a whole wall with a mirror lined with light bulbs and makeup chairs. An endless amount of racks were scattered throughout the room, with all sorts of clothes hanging onto them.

"Is this for the theatre club? I forgot they had that," Peggy wondered. The others nodded. It did look like it belonged to theatre; the clothing on the wall was very elaborate and costume-like. Everyone wandered through the room, looking at different boxes and things hung along the walls.

Clint grinned and took a feather boa when he saw one, tossing it around his neck. Natasha snickered at him, finding a floppy hat and reaching up to place it on his head. "Woah, don't strain yourself, shortie," Clint laughed, and he grabbed a platinum wig and playfully put it onto her head as she complained. She adjusted it, but didn't take it off, instead grabbing a cape and strapping it around her neck.

The others had a similar idea; soon enough, everyone had on weird articles of clothing. Wanda wore a tutu and bunny ears; Stark wore a coconut bra and a floral lei, and Peggy had found a fake gun holster and a police cap. Steve was the only one who seemed to not get the memo, so Tony took it upon himself to give the guy some tacky sunglasses and a bridal veil. They all looked absolutely ridiculous, and no one could contain their fits of laughter. Suddenly, everyone was comfortable, as if the boundaries between them had all but collapsed. They were red-faced from laughing so much, leaning against each other - Wanda even had tears streaming down her cheeks. Steve managed to maintain some control, and he took his phone out and captured the ridiculous moment with a photo. The others made funny faces and poses to add to the photo, though they could hardly hold it behind their laughter.

Peggy pretended to shoot down Tony with her fake gun; the boy stumbled back and grasped his chest dramatically, falling to his knees. Natasha kicked the gun out of Peggy's hands, posing as a superhero would, flipping her messy wig - which flew off and hit Wanda in the face, causing another burst of laughter to go through the group. Wanda tossed the wig back at Natasha, pouting like she was hurt, but not being able to hold back a smile. Neither could anyone else.

* * *

Soon they were all lounged in a circle on a platform after raiding a second set of vending machines for some sweets. None of them had bothered to change out of their outfits; in fact, Tony put in a great amount of effort to jostle his coconut bra whenever he got an opportunity, sending the crew into another fit of giggles.

Natasha sat with her back leaned against Clint's side, tossing a peanut M&M into her mouth. Her wig was lopsided but she didn't seem to care. Clint tried to toss his feather boa over his shoulder exaggeratedly, but it landed on her face, so she threw it back at him with a laugh.

"Are they dating?" Peggy asked Wanda quietly, her eyes trained on the two. However, Clint heard, and he answered instead.

"Yeah, we're dating," he announced loudly. Natasha stopped chewing her M&Ms, her face scrunching up. Clint put his arms around her, showing obviously exaggerated affection. "She loves me _so_ much." His voice was laced with fake emotion.

Natasha snorted, unable to contain her laughter. "Get your filthy arms off me," she demanded playfully, her wig slipping off her head. She fixed it as she spoke, "I'd never date Clint. Nor would anyone else." Tony snickered and muttered, "burn." which earned him a glare from Clint.

"I've had girlfriends," Clint protested, crossing his arms and taking a bite off a Twizzler.

"You've had _a_ girlfriend," Wanda corrected, her shy demeanor dissolving. "In _middle_ _school_."

"Damn, Barton," Tony drawled, quirking an eyebrow obnoxiously. "You need to step up your game."

"Shut up," Clint defended hotly. "You're no better, Stark, you're practically drooling over that blond at lunch. I bet she's _so damn attracted_ to you every time you ask her for a salt pack."

The room went quiet as Tony's face went bright red with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. Then, suddenly, they heard loud laughing: they were surprise during to see that it came from _Steve_. He grasped Tony's shoulder, his other hand on his own chest, as if he couldn't contain his amusement. His laughter was contagious, quickly spreading to the other members. Tony glared daggers at them all.

"Is it that obvious?" he muttered when the laughter had subsided.

"Now that I think about it... yes," Wanda confirmed with a giggle, crossing her legs and leaning her elbows on her thighs.

"Which blonde?" Natasha said curiously, having been indifferent to Tony's fixation. Her M&Ms were left forgotten between all the talking, so Clint sneakily pulled the bag closer to him and dug a few out for himself.

Tony obviously wasn't going to answer, so Steve did it for him. "A Virginia Potts, apparently."

Peggy sat up. " _Oh, I know her_!" she exclaimed, excited to be included in the gossip. "She's more of a reddish blonde, though, and really tall and classy and stuff? Our parents work for the same company. She's incredibly sweet, I can see why you like her."

"I didn't think Stark went for 'incredibly sweet'," Steve said with a laugh, and got murmurs of agreement in response. Tony seethed silently.

Wanda was a little perplexed. "I remember her... She was making up the Software test with me today," she said softly, a little worried, but no one else seemed to hear her.

"Gee, thanks," Tony replied irritably, not wanting to discuss this further. "Anyone else want to admit to their crushes so we can overanalyze them and embarrass you?"

"Wanda has a crush on someone, but she won't tell me his name," Clint blurted, and Wanda was jarred from her thoughts and went bright red, looking down at her hands. No one had the heart to embarrass her, though.

"Love is for children," Natasha muttered as she unwrapped a jawbreaker. Clint stared down at his best friend disapprovingly, though he said nothing.

"What does that make us?" Peggy shot back with a raised eyebrow, and Natasha was silent, for once not having a response. Steve watched Peggy admirably, and she met his gaze evenly. They both looked away after a moment, their cheeks tinged slightly pink.

* * *

 **Lots of laughter - I hope you laughed too. :)**


	5. An Overreaction

**Sorry for the delay - finals got me. I also rewrote this chapter a lot because it wasn't feeling right - lots got cut out. I hope you like it. Thanks for the lovely reviews!**

* * *

The group had been quiet for a good half an hour. The sun had since set, and the jitters from all the candy they had eaten had subsided. They lounged lazily on the ground in a circle in the mysterious costume room they had found. A few of the kids had their headphones in, listening to various kinds of music; others read or played game apps. Wanda hummed along to a slow song she listened to, but nobody seemed to mind. Their costume bits had been precariously tossed into a pile in the center of their circle.

They sat in peaceful silence, and no one dared interrupt it. Except Tony, that is.

"Never have I ever been arrested," he proclaimed suddenly, not batting an eye away from his phone until several seconds later, when he looked up at the rest of the group expectantly. Everyone else was jarred by the sudden interruption of the peace. It took a few seconds, but they all shifted, sitting up curiously, the game registering in their minds.

"I have," Natasha contributed vaguely, tugging on the drawstrings of her hoodie. The heads of the others turned to look at her expectantly, but she didn't elaborate on how or why. She nodded her head towards Clint, her curly hair bouncing as she did so. "He has, too, but he hates to admit it." Clint hung his head a little but didn't bother to explain how, either; only the hidden smirk on his face showed that he wasn't upset that he'd been exposed. After a few seconds of unsure silence, Nat took it upon herself to continue. "Never have I ever had an alcoholic beverage," she offered, watching the others around the circle with careful scrutiny. She noticed Tony's over-confident smirk as he raised his hand (to absolutely no one's surprise), as well as Peggy's very hesitant expression as she tried to explain why her hand was raised as well.

"I only tried it once," she explained, her face scrunched up at the memory, "and I _hated_ it. My brother had let me try a beer, but it was gross." She grimaced a little just thinking about it, her shoulders slumping a little bit.

"Geez, Pegs, we all know you're a raving alcoholic," Tony drawled with a grin as he crossed his arms over his chest, waving his free hand precariously. "The cat's out of the bag."

"Never call me Pegs again," was her icy response, which only made Tony's grin grow. "And I don't think you're one to talk about alcoholism, if what I hear around is true."

" _Very_ true," he agreed with a point of his finger, leaning back against a wall, his eyes scanning the others with amusement. "Anyone else want to play, preferably before Pegs here bites my head off?"

Wanda raised her hand unsurely. "Never have I ever broken a bone..?" she offered with a smile, leaning her cheek on her palm sweetly.

Steve, being an athlete, was the obvious first confession that round; "I broke my leg," he explained with a laugh that looked kind of pained, like he could remember just how bad it hurt, "in freshman year... Got dragged into a hockey game, never been on ice in my life. Bad combination." The others winced sympathetically, murmuring about bad luck, but not without some humor in their voices.

Natasha was the next person to speak up. "I need you to be clear," she said to Wanda with a serious expression, leaning forward slightly and lowering her voice. "Does it have to be _my own_ bone that I've broken?" she questioned seriously. Wanda and the others stared back at her with a lot of shock, eyes wide and questioning, but it subsided when Natasha couldn't hold back a laugh, leaning her head back, finding their expressions absolutely hilarious. "I fractured a guy's nose once," she explained with a sly smile. "But he deserved it, I promise." Natasha noticed Steve's shoulders tense, so she quirked an eyebrow at him. _Watch out_ , her eyes seemed to say, with a mischievous glint; he seemed to catch it, and relaxed slightly, offering a half-smile in return. _I won't get in your way_ , his smiling eyes seemed to reply.

Meanwhile, Peggy leaned forward, her expression looking a mixture of excitement and evil; "I'm going to weed out some of you here... Never have I ever," she began, grinning wickedly, "...made out with a stranger."

Everyone's eyes shifted to Tony, who threw his hands up with mock-anger. "Who, me?!" he exclaimed offendedly. "I would _never_." His hands dropped to his sides, laughing as he spoke. "No, seriously, though, I haven't. Even I'm not _that_ bad."

They each had their unvoiced doubts.

No one else spoke for several moments, almost as if intimidating each other into spilling their secrets. Some attention was on Steve; being a football player, he was the most likely person to have done a _few_ crazy things at a party or something, but he didn't speak up. No attention, however, was on Clint as he shifted his eyes, silently debating with himself. He looked like he wasn't going to say anything, when suddenly Wanda gasped, pointing at him. "You've done it!" she exclaimed, with a little bit of contained glee that she could expose him, her bright eyes smiling playfully.

"Wanda," Clint sighed exasperatedly, burying his face in his hands miserably. Everyone else gawked at him; Tony laughed and even clapped a few times. "She wasn't a complete stranger, I mean... I knew her name. It was a stupid party."

Peggy began to giggle, happy that her round could expose someone, and Clint started to laugh a bit too after a second, shaking his head. Their laughter stopped when they heard an outraged voice, their eyes snapping towards it.

"You did _what_?!" Natasha asked with a little spark of anger in her eyes, turning to Clint. She slapped his arm; everyone winced because it didn't look _at all_ gentle. "Why haven't you told me about that?"

Clint flinched away from his friend. "I don't have to tell you!" he defended, rubbing his arm, watching her with wide eyes. Natasha's anger confused him; it's not that she wasn't angry often, it's just that she usually controlled it much better. He also didn't understand why she was angry in the first place, but he assumed she was just upset that he was so secretive; there was very little about each other they didn't know.

"I'm your _best friend_!" she fumed hotly, her fists clenched. She looked almost baffled. "I deserve to know."

Steve decided to interject on Clint's behalf, his voice soft and calming. "He doesn't have to tell you, Nat... besides, it's not like it's a big deal."

Clint nodded, his gaze on Natasha perplexed. "It was stupid, and it was a while ago, okay? Like, last year... Relax." The girl shot him a glare before looking down at her feet, effectively shutting down the conversation. Clint's gaze on her burned through her skin, which turned red with something like embarrassment.

The others were quiet, watching them with the same confused expressions that Clint was watching Natasha with. He looked back at them and shrugged one shoulder, standing up and mumbling something about going to the bathroom before he left the room. It took only a minute for Nat to calm down, and she stared at the door waiting for him to come back, feeling ashamed that she had hurt him over something so petty, something that had nothing to do with her. She didn't know what overcame her, and in front of all these people, too... She didn't love Clint, despite what she knew the others were thinking; not romantically. Her feelings were always friendly, but for a moment there, they were protective and even _jealous_. And besides, there was no reason at all he wouldn't tell her... that just wasn't like him. Clint was exactly the kind of guy who would brag about making out with a stranger at a party; why would he keep something so minuscule a secret? She tossed the thoughts around in her mind for a few moments, but in the end, only one thing mattered to her, and that was apologizing to Clint. _'It's been a bad day, and I came off harsher than I intended, and I'm really sorry...'_ She hated apologies, but she really did feel bad for what she'd done.

Peggy's glance to Wanda expressed what everyone was thinking; "are you sure they're not dating?" Wanda could only shrug helplessly, as lost as they all were. She knew that they weren't dating, but never had she considered the fact that one could have feelings for another. Silence lulled over the group again, this time tense and heavy with unanswered questions.


	6. Breakthrough

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

None of the kids felt like going to sleep, despite that it was getting later in the night. Natasha was particularly restless, so she left to wander through the halls. The others knew that she was looking for Clint, who hadn't returned since Nat had freaked out earlier, but nobody brought it up. Tony had also left a few minutes later, hunting for a vending machine that had some sort of an assortment that wasn't candy and chips. No one ever thought they'd grow tired of junk food, but they would give anything for a warm meal, and it had only been a few hours in the school.

Peggy, Steve, and Wanda were in what looked like a physics classroom, one that had no windows or openings, figuring it would be warmer than the cafeteria. They were right, though it was still slightly chilly, it was a significant improvement.

Peggy sat at the teacher's desk, rummaging through the drawers nosily. Steve stood beside her, watching her guiltily but not having the heart to tell her to stop, especially not after Peggy had called him out on being a rule-follower. "You're a football player," she had scolded. "You can get away with things. Take advantage of that; this isn't the army. This is high school."

Wanda watched tiredly from her seat in the back of the class. She had her headphones in, uninterested in the belongings of the teacher, the long day having taken a toll on her. Her hair was messily tied back in a knot, and she wore a jacket that Steve had lended her, several sizes too big but enough to keep her small body warm.

Besides school supplies, Peggy hadn't found much in the desk. She found some playing cards and a pack of gum, which she helped herself to, but not much else caught her interest. She offered a piece of gum to Steve, who accepted, shoving his guilty conscience aside. He leaned on the desk facing her, crossing his muscular arms across his chest (which Peggy definitely noticed, though she tried her best not to stare).

"How's your brother, by the way?" Steve said after a moment of silence. He remembered the days they were neighbors, back when Peggy had first moved to the States.

Peggy gave him a warm smile, crossing her ankles. "He's doing good, but is always busy. I don't see him too much anymore. How have things been for you?"

Steve exhaled, shrugging one shoulder. "Better than ever, Peggy. Being on the team really changed things for me, you know?" He gave a half smile, knowing she would understand.

"You used to be so scrawny when I first came to live here," Peggy recalled. Steve seemed embarrassed that she had mentioned his younger self, but she was unaffected. "I remember the first time I saw you again, in my freshman year, I was so surprised. You looked so different, so athletic. And _tall_."

"It was a good three years since we'd seen each other," he said with a laugh. "Things were bound to be a little different."

"You know that's not what mean." Peggy twisted her swivel chair as she thought. " _You_ haven't changed a bit though - I mean, you're bigger, but you're still as sweet as you were in the seventh grade. Still a rule-follower," she said with a pointed look at him, and he smiled, his ears turning a little pink. He didn't reply though, getting caught up in his thoughts and memories. Peggy respected that, and didn't interrupt the silence.

"You've lost most of the accent," Steve said maybe five minutes later, surprising Peggy a little.

"Unfortunately," Peggy sighed with a shrug. She stood, pushing the desk chair into its place within the desk. "I can't help it - I'm becoming more American with every passing second."

"That's a good thing," Steve said with a laugh, although a little proudly, following her with his eyes as she walked over to him.

Peggy poked his chest, shaking her head. "And that - that annoying _pride_ \- is exactly why I don't want to be an American," she deadpanned jokingly. Steve huffed with mock offense, leaning a little bit closer to her without realizing.

"Disrespectful," Steve said evenly, raising an eyebrow. He couldn't hold back a small smile. "I think I'm going to have to report you for that."

Peggy looked jokingly surprised, crossing her arms and taking a tiny step closer to him. "To _whom_ , exactly?" She challenged, a little bit of a smile on her face as well. "You wouldn't want me deported, Steve? I think you're too nice for that."

"Am I?" he replied softly, his eyes gazing down at her. God, Peggy was so _beautiful_ , in the most natural way; her intelligent brown eyes and confidence, her unwavering voice, only made her increasingly gorgeous. It wasn't the first time he'd noticed how pretty she was, but it was the first time they'd ever been that close together. In fact, if he leaned down just a little more, he would be able to...

 _kiss her_? He was jarred out of his thoughts, his eyes snapping up to meet hers; she stared back at him before looking down, her cheeks tinted red. Peggy took a step away, trying to act like nothing had happened, but she could feel his gaze on her. Steve ran his hand through his hair, exhaling and trying to pretend that hadn't happened, either. He looked towards Wanda, embarrassed to think that she might've witnessed that all, but she was fast asleep, curled up in her seat with his jacket wrapped around her.

Peggy turned away from Steve shyly; she was surprised by the way he had been watching her, though she didn't particularly mind... Despite her best efforts, she couldn't hold back a smile as she sat back in the teacher's chair, keeping her face turned from Steve so he couldn't see.

* * *

Tony strolled through the empty halls casually, taking a sip of an energy drink he had bought on his journey. It was the closest thing to coffee he could find, though it did little to ease him. His thoughts wandered rapidly as usual; from thinking about his warm house, to the project in the robotics lab he needed to finish, to Virginia Potts, to the sound of footsteps coming towards him. Wait - _footsteps_?

He had a moment of panic before he realized the figure walking towards him looked rather familiar, and soon the person was close enough for Tony to distinguish them as Clint. Tony gave a grin and a lazy wave, his shoulders relaxing, slowing to a stop as Clint approached him. The blond boy seemed to be jarred out of his thoughts, looking stressed out. Tony began to walk alongside him, trying his best not to interrupt the boy's thought process, but alas, he just couldn't hold back his comments.

"It's just what girls do, you know," Tony blurted, looking at Clint. Clint glanced sideways a him, but didn't respond, so Tony continued. "They want everything for themselves, and get controlling over things they have no right to control. You know? It's one of those weird womanly things."

Clint shook his head, scowling slightly, trying to reason through it himself. "Natasha's not like that," he protested quietly. "I mean, _controlling_ , yes, but... not over things like that. She was just... just mad that I didn't tell her. She was right; I should have." Guilt laced his voice, as well as a noticeable twinge of doubt.

Tony scoffed, shaking his head. "She's got you wrapped around her finger," he muttered, earning him a frustrated look from Clint. "No, really - listen to me. People do a lot of crazy stuff they don't tell anyone else about, even their best friends. It's normal. What's not normal is her demanding to know the pesky details of your sex life - or lack thereof - even though you obviously chose not to tell her. I think she got jealous." Clint opened his mouth to protest, but Tony kept going, not giving him a chance to. "As for you, you hid it from her on purpose, that's for sure. I think that speaks volumes for itself." This time, Clint didn't say anything, just turning his head away; Tony smirked triumphantly. He said nothing more, having made his point. Once they got to the physics classroom, Tony stopped in front of the door, looking at Clint seriously. He grasped his friend's shoulder meaningfully before dropping his hand back to his side. "If you really do like her," Tony told quietly, "don't let her get away."

"Take your own advice, Stark," Clint muttered, digging his hands into his pockets, his shoulders slumped doubtfully, still looking incredibly conflicted and confused.

Tony rolled his eyes. "She went out looking for you, by the way. You should go figure this out." Clint nodded, his heart beating heavily, deadly afraid of having to face Natasha, though his face didn't show it. Tony sighed and opened the door to the classroom, stepping inside and leaving Clint to his thoughts.

The teen archer stared at his feet as he took heavy steps down the empty halls, the lockers looming around him eerily. His thoughts were rushed and even a little panicky. Never in his life did he consider the idea that he might love Natasha as anything more than a friend... but that was a lie. He had considered it before, and he could remember specifically... like the tension in his shoulders whenever Natasha flirted with someone - and man, did Natasha love to flirt. He had never liked any of her boyfriends. Not to mention the fact that he couldn't take his eyes off of her long enough to look around at any other girl; the reason he hadn't dated in so long. Clint closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, wondering how he'd been such an idiot. _Do I really_ _love her?_

His thoughts were interrupted. "Clint?" the sound of her gentle voice echoed through the halls, and his heart lurched in his chest, as if rushing towards her.

 _Yes_ , Clint answered his own thoughts, opening his eyes and stepping towards the sound of her voice. Any doubt in his mind vanished at that moment, and he walked with this newly discovered emotion bubbling inside him, taking over. _Yes... I really do._


	7. Suspects

**Sorry for the break! I missed this!**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Natasha took a deep breath and approached Clint, masking her nervousness as best as she could. She shouldn't feel nervous, but she did anyways; her friendship with Clint meant more to her than anyone could ever understand. He was the light of her life, the person she looked forward to seeing every morning, even if he flirted with silly sophomores to annoy her and spent most of his day being an idiot. He was her idiot, and she would never let go of him. Yet her stomach was in knots as she stopped a foot in front of him, her green eyes scanning his face, biting her bottom lip... nervously.

For once, witty, sarcastic Natasha Romanoff didn't know what to say. She took a breath and stood straighter, just wanting to get it over with... "I'm sorry I overreacted," she began quietly, her eyes trained on his. She couldn't read his expression, which worried her. "I was just annoyed because you didn't tell me, but I shouldn't expect you to. I don't know what got into me." As stoic as she was as she spoke, her apology was incredibly sincere. She broke eye contact and looked down at her hands, which she twisted in front of her, a clear sign that she was on edge. "And I'm... _really_ sorry."

Clint studied her for several moments, absolutely silent. To be honest, he had barely heard a single word she said, but having already forgiven her for the whole ordeal, it didn't really matter. His only focus was the vivid color of her eyes, her pale skin, the red ringlets of her hair that flowed perfectly past her cheeks... it was as if he was seeing her in a whole new light. He suddenly realized that it had been several moments since Natasha had stopped speaking, and that he should probably say something...

"You're gorgeous, Natasha," was the only thing he could manage, since it was the only thought on his mind. Her eyes looked back up to his with surprise, and she raised an eyebrow questioningly. Clint smirked, looking down at his feet. "I mean, you look pretty when you apologize," he snickered, taking a tiny step away from her. "You should do it more often."

 _Nice save._

Natasha glared at him, but she was obviously anything but angry. She stepped forward and hugged him tightly, her arms wrapped tightly around his abdomen; his arms automatically went around her waist, and he rested his chin on the top of her head. She was so relieved that he wasn't still angry, and his arms around her felt so comfortable. Clint was everything to her, and his hand rubbing her back comforted her the same way it did whenever she had a crisis. He was always there when she needed him, even if she was at fault.

"I talked to Tony," Clint said after a few moments, though not letting go of her. "He thinks you got jealous." His voice was teasing, but secretly he just wanted to test for her response, though he knew for sure what it would be...

And yet he still tried not to wince when she laughed and looked up at him with smiling eyes. "So jealous. Practically dying to be your not-even-one night stand," she quipped, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "In fact, this school is full of empty classrooms..." She raised an eyebrow at him suggestively, moving out of his embrace and pulling him with her as she walked in the direction of the classroom their friends were in. Clint smiled, though he didn't respond, his thoughts taking over him. This kind of behavior wasn't out of the ordinary. Natasha liked to flirt. He'd just never given it any thought before when she'd flirted with him. "You better not be taking that seriously," she joked when he didn't respond for a second, glancing back at him with amused eyes.

He elbowed her lightly. "Don't assume I'm thinking about you. I mean, what if I had a massive crush on Peggy?" He couldn't believe he was saying that, trying to hold in his laughter but clearly failing. Natasha also looked on the verge of laughing, but she played along.

"You couldn't get within two feet of her. She'd tear you to pieces," Natasha grinned, shaking her head.

"And you wouldn't?" he rolled his eyes, smiling.

Nat laughed, shaking her head. "You said you've been talking to Tony, hmm? I'm sure he'd be a good candidate." She glanced at him mischievously, crossing her arms.

"He's obsessed with that blonde chick," he whined childishly, causing Natasha to break into laughter. He could hardly hold back a grin himself. "He won't even _glance_ at me."

"I guess that leaves Steve." She paused for a moment, then quickly continued. "I call dibs." At his horrified expression, she bit her lip to stop from grinning. "What? Have you seen the shoulders on that guy?"

"He's a softie! What do ya want with him?!" Clint scoffed with (mostly) fake outrage, folding his arms. "Good looks aren't everything."

"Look who's jealous now," she said smugly, effectively shutting Clint up. He just stuck her tongue out at her. "Childish," she muttered as she approached the classroom door, peeking in through the door window to check that their friends were inside.

 _Me, childish?_

 _Well... love is for children_ , he thought absently, a small smile on his face as he followed her into the room.

* * *

Clint and Nat were greeted with enthusiastic smiles and greetings from their friends (who had only hours earlier been strangers). Wanda lifted her head sleepily, blinking away some confusion; she wanted to wave at the two but was so tired that she just put her head back down on the bag she had improvised into a pillow, sighing softly. Natasha awed and nudged her jokingly. "Not one for staying up late, are you?" she teased her, and Wanda reached up and swatted Nat away playfully. Nat laughed and took the seat at the desk beside Wanda; Clint sat backwards in the seat in front of Natasha's, and Tony strolled over, leaning on the desk between them casually. Peggy sat on the desk that Clint's chair belonged to, and Steve stood beside her shyly. They exchanged glances every once in a while but didn't say anything to each other.

Tony cleared his throat, beginning to pace. "I have gathered you all here today," he began formally, his face serious. A wave of eye rolls and groans went through the group. He ignored them, continuing his monologue indifferently. "To discuss the situation at hand. As you can see, we have been trapped in this bunker by a group of hostiles... and I think one of you is behind it." He set his palms flat on the edge of the desk Peggy sat at as he peered at her suspiciously. She stared back firmly, although she really wanted to grin. "I believe you've betrayed me, Miss Carter," Tony accused in a low voice, shaking his head.

Peggy raised her eyebrows, leaning away from Tony. "It's _Lady_ Carter," she corrected, purposefully exaggerating her accent, playing along with whatever Tony's game was. The others watched with curious interest; even Wanda peeked out to see the sudden show. "And I promise you, Mr. Stark, there has been absolutely no betrayal on my part. I'm offended that you'd even accuse me of such a thing."

Tony lifted his hands off the table, impressed, but going along with the game. "Well, you _are_ the only Brit here," he drawled, continuing to pace, eyeing down the others but returning his gaze to Peggy after a moment. "And none of our humble American team would ever commit this kind of treason against their own nation."

"Actually," Steve piped up with slight hesitance, "According to some confidential files, Miss Romanoff is a Russian citizen, Mr. Stark - perhaps she is the perpetrator?" He gave her a glare, to which she returned a smirk, happy to be handed such a controversial role. Tony turned quickly to look at her with shock, not missing a beat with his acting. He stepped over to her, looking betrayed.

"You wouldn't," Tony said disbelievingly. "After all we did together - all of that was a lie?" He looked down at her with faked pain, his hand set on his chest like it hurt him to breathe. "Is Natasha even your real name?" he exclaimed in despair. Clint's shoulders shook as he laughed, causing Tony to break character a little, a tiny grin breaking out onto his face.

Natasha stood slowly from her seat, stepping closer to Tony, a small smirk playing on her lips as she assumed the role implied for her by the others. She spoke with a fake Russian accent - "No, I am not who I said I was," she drawled, setting her hand on the side of Tony's face, her eyes smiling despite her trying to look as evil as possible. "But the past few weeks together were spectacular, Mister Stark, knowing every moment that I would set you and your miserable team up to die."

A collective gasp came from the others, who were also on the verge of bursting into a fit. Steve managed to suck it up and he stood, grabbing a chalkboard eraser and holding it up to the back of Natasha's head like a firearm. "I can't let you do that, Miss Romanoff," he said authoritatively, though he couldn't keep off the smile like the others could. "If we can even call you that."

"Ugh, the glorified bodyguard," Natasha groaned, lifting her hands up in the air. "It won't do you any good, Officer Rogers - kill me or not, none of you will make it out of here. I promise you that." Her exaggerated accent made it hard for the others to maintain character. A few had to bite their lips to hold in their giggles.

"Russians aren't known to keep promises very well," Peggy quipped with a grin, crossing her arms. Natasha stuck her tongue out at her, causing Peggy to snicker, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle it.

Wanda watched the interaction with her cheek leaned on her palm, smiling despite her tired eyes trying to close every few seconds. She didn't expect to be brought into the situation, though, when she felt something prod her temple - after a moment's realization, she realized it was another chalkboard eraser 'gun'. This one was wielded by Clint, and he grinned and winked at her as if to encourage her to play along. She couldn't help but return that with a smile.

"Let her go," Clint said above the others talking, bringing attention to the two. "Or the civilian dies." He glanced over at Natasha, who smiled at him warmly. He always had her back, even in a stupid, fake improv game.

Wanda attempted to look terrified, stuttering out a "help," but her kind eyes didn't lose their shine. It was like she was programmed to look friendly and happy even when she was trying to force it down.

Tony threw his hands up, sighing exasperatedly. "Goddamn, two of them! I trusted you, Agent Barton!" At the last part Tony just couldn't help it any longer and broke into laugher, leaning back on one of the desks. "You are all ridiculous," he said between laughs, "but actually not half bad. And Natasha... _damn_."

Natasha did a little bow before returning to her seat. "What can I say? I'm just multitalented," she bragged jokingly, leaning on the desk on her elbows.

"I've never done anything like that before. It was... spontaneous. And.. fun," Peggy commented, threading a braid through her hair as she thought. She didn't miss the smile Steve gave her, and she definitely didn't fail to return it. He looked away first, which made her smile more.

Only a desk away, Wanda and Clint were talking quietly between themselves. "What happened earlier?" she questioned quietly enough so Natasha wouldn't hear. She was one of his closest friends, so she hoped he would trust her.

Clint glanced at Nat before looking back to Wanda, giving her a shrug. "I don't... know. I can't explain why she said what she did, but... I can understand it. It's almost like things feel different tonight." Wanda nodded in understanding, doing her best to stay wide awake for the sake of her friend. He hadn't said that he liked Nat, but in a weird way, she could see it in his eyes. Like she could sense how he felt or something, it was always a weird talent of hers.

"Well... it's been a crazy night," she advised softly, and he listened, because he knew she would look out for the both of them. That he could trust her, and Nat could, too. "Things do feel different tonight. And... maybe that's not so awful. Maybe we're here for a reason."

However vague that answer was, it was exactly what Clint needed to hear. He took her hand in his and gave it a soft squeeze, thinking about what she'd said over and over, his mind a snow storm like the one outside.

Wanda set her head down and closed her eyes, finally peaceful enough to fall asleep despite the chatter around her, knowing that it was unfamiliar, and this time she wholly welcomed it.


	8. Homesick

When Wanda awoke a few hours later, she was shivering. The room was dark, and the setting around her was unfamiliar. Her heart sped up, and she panicked for a short second. It took her several moments to gather her bearings and remember the strange events of the past day, as well as her location. She zipped up her jacket - not her jacket, she noted drowsily, but Steve's - and pulled the hoodie up, trying to warm herself a little bit. She felt groggy and sweaty. She'd never had too strong an immune system, and the cold night must have gotten to her. She stood up, heading towards the teacher's desk at the front of the room where she remembered seeing a tissue box earlier. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out the shapes of her friends around her.

Peggy rested in the soft desk chair behind the teacher's desk, a coat draped over her to compensate for a blanket. Natasha was laying on the length of two desks that had been pushed together, curled up on herself to try to retain some body heat. Clint had a similar setup, lying on some desks towards the back of the room, shifting every few seconds uncomfortably. Wanda heard a mutter of disdain coming from him, and she guessed he wasn't fully asleep yet. Steve had fallen asleep at a desk with his head resting on his crossed arms. Tony was nowhere to be seen, but she didn't give it much thought (on the contrary, she hardly noticed he was gone).

Wanda picked up the tissue box and left the room, trying not to wake everyone as she shut the door gently. She felt hot and exhausted, dabbing at the sweat on her forehead as she made her way towards the bathroom.

Way down the hallway, Wanda noticed Tony was walking in her direction her, looking like he hadn't slept much. She gave him a wry smile despite trying to match his lazy grin as he noticed her as well. Suddenly, she felt a wave of nausea and she dropped the tissue box to the floor, rushing to the bathroom doors and forcing them open. She vaguely heard Tony calling her name, but she was too busy slouching over a sink and throwing up into it painfully to register it.

Tony followed Wanda into the bathroom when he saw her run inside, worried that she was hurt. His eyes widened when he realized she was throwing up, and he quickly stepped over, pulling her hair back away from the sink so she wouldn't ruin it. He rubbed her upper back, not saying anything; she looked pained and exhausted, and it even looked like she was crying. Tony had spent many nights like this, heaving his guts out in a bathroom, but he figured this was much more serious than a drunken mess. Her shivering clued him in on that much.

Wanda rinsed her mouth out once she was sure her stomach wouldn't try to implode again. She took a deep breath, lowering herself down onto the ground of the bathroom, not feeling strong enough to keep standing. Tony sat down next to her, hesitantly putting an arm around her for support. She leaned against him, his warmth helping to slow down her shivering by the tiniest bit. Tony pushed her hair out of her eyes and placed the back of his palm on her forehead. "Feverish," he concluded, then moved his hand back. "Not good."

Wanda nodded, closing her eyes. She no longer felt nauseous, but still shivered despite being coated in sweat. Tony's arms around her helped, but she knew she needed some medicine. She'd gotten fevers before, but usually she had her brother and her mom by her side, and blankets, and hot soup. And she would stay home from school, definitely not stay the night at it.

It was also a little weird to be held by this boy, one that was practically a stranger to her, but it didn't feel wrong. It felt friendly. Despite knowing his reputation, she wasn't afraid and she trusted him despite feeling weak. Pietro would scoff, but she couldn't explain it. She just... trusted him.

Tony, on the other hand, was less comfortable with having a stranger in his arms, but he didn't particularly mind. She was sick, and everyone else was asleep, so he felt responsible for her. He hardly ever felt responsible for anything, so while this feeling was new, it was welcomed. He was also surprised to see that she trusted him so much. They'd barely talked, but he guessed she was the quiet type. The kind to get to know you without ever speaking to you. He could understand.

Wanda shifted slightly, so Tony leaned away momentarily, shrugging off his jacket and draping it over her shoulders. Wanda didn't object, pulling the second jacket on appreciatively. It seemed to help her shivering a little, which cheered Tony up. He was glad he was able to help a little. He didn't realize how much Wanda appreciated the little gestures he considered pointless.

They made small talk. Tony knew Pietro, so they talked a little bit about him, or about the mess of the snowstorm. They talked about what'd they would get from the vending machines in the morning, and if they'd be able to go home by then. Soon enough, Wanda's voice began to fade and her head rested on Tony's shoulder. She was soundly asleep, and Tony didn't dare move, staying silent and taking a few moments to think as he stared at the stalls of the girl's bathroom. He never slept much, and tonight wasn't any different. The eerie quiet was suffocating, so he was thankful for some company when he heard feet shuffle in through the door.

"Hey, someone's in here, don't freak out," he warned softly, so whoever was coming wouldn't get scared of the two figures sitting in the dark. The footsteps paused and then continued; Tony could make out a female figure, but she was too far and it was too dark to note any details.

"Tony?" Peggy's voice called out unsurely, stepping forward. "What're you doing here?"

"Hey," Tony gave a soft laugh. "Wanda got sick, I kind of helped out, and now she's asleep on me. You can use the bathroom. I'll close my eyes, I swear." He gave a little smirk, not knowing if she could see. "Maybe."

"I'll wait," Peggy decided, and he could hear the smile in her voice. He heard her coming over until she was close enough for him to see, and she sat on the ground in front of him. "What's wrong with her?" Peggy's voice, while caring, was still as demanding and firm as ever. Tony tried to signal to her to quiet down.

"Fever, I think. She's shivering real bad. This whole thing sucks," he said dejectedly, casting his eyes down. "Never thought I'd miss stupid things like heating and ibuprofen."

Peggy shrugged one shoulder, pursing her lips. "Guess you shouldn't take things for granted, Stark."

"I know." Tony didn't look straight at her, his eyes instead focusing on the ceiling. He didn't say much else, feeling like a little kid that had been chastised for something they didn't do.

Peggy let out a sigh, watching him for a moment. After a moment she decided to speak up. "What are your plans, if we get out of this place?"

"Go to the beach. Have some real food. Enjoy the heat," was his immediate response. He could almost smile at the thought of getting out, of not being cold and of having a hot meal. Not to mention the beach girls, but that was a different story.

"It's the middle of Winter, in New York City, Stark. What beach?"

Tony looked down again, hesitating before answering. This never played out well. "I mean, we own a jet. And a small beach in South Carolina."

"Right. Of course." Peggy's words were hard like stone, and it almost sounded like she would scoff. Tony expected as much, but that didn't mean he wasn't upset by it.

Tony shot Peggy a glare against his own objections. "I said I have a jet. Not that I've been convinced of assault. Christ, I'm not a bad person because my parents are rich."

"I know that," Peggy replied quickly, realizing how she'd come off. "I didn't mean-"

"Yeah, I know," he cut off, shaking his head. He didn't feel like talking about it; he wished he hasn't brought it up in the first place, but it was like everything he said had something to do with money. Like his entire personality was engrained in it, and that made people look down on him.

"No, let me talk. I'm sorry, it's this...perception of you, that's all I've been hearing for years on end. And I know it was wrong to judge, and I won't do it again, I swear." Peggy was nothing if not solemn, and she meant what she said. Her expression was steel, yet apologetic at the same time, in a way only she could be.

Tony shrugged again, already having mentally shut off this topic. But Peggy's words made his head pound. "Let's just let Wanda rest for a few more hours, then we can hunt Mr. Coulson down and get her some medicine from the nurse's office."

Peggy nodded, standing up, recognizing her cue to leave. "I'll just go across to the boys' bathroom... see you later, Tony. Sorry, again."

Tony sighed, watching Peggy step out of the room, wondering if he had been too harsh, but he dismissed the thought tiredly. At least now she'd think twice before assuming the worst of him, and maybe she'll tell the others, too... In a few short minutes, he found himself falling into a calm sleep for the first time in a very, very long time.

* * *

 **I really love how this chapter turned out. Tony is so interesting to write, and I love to write friendships evolving. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did - let me know! :)**


	9. First Kisses, Last Moments

**2:28 AM**

It was still dark when Clint woke up - or, rather, when he decided that trying to sleep on such a uncomfortable desks was futile. The groove in between the two uneven desks pushed into his spine, and his feet hung over the edge - not to mention the cold was getting unbearable. He pushed himself up, trying to hold back a groan, aware of the people around him - _strangers_ , he thought absently, even though it didn't feel that way anymore. He set his feet on the floor and stood, wandering blindly to where he figured the door would be. His hip bumped into the sharp corner of a desk and he hissed a curse, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from shouting out. He heard a mumble and look beside him at Natasha, who had been sleeping peacefully on the desks until he had plowed into them. She blinked her eyes open sleepily, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Clint?" she whispered, her voice low, sending shivers down his spine.

"Sorry," he said apologetically, kneeling down to meet her gaze. She was still questioning with her eyes, wondering why he was leaving. "Couldn't sleep. Going for a walk."

"I'll come," she volunteered, setting her feet on the ground gingerly. Clint didn't protest, waiting for her to settle before leading the way. He held the door for her and she stepped out past him, looking around as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. They fell into step as they crept down the hallway, remaining silent until Natasha decided to break the peace.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss home," she said softly, looking up at him with trusting eyes.

He gave her a playful smile and joked, "you can't wait to get rid of me," to which she laughed and agreed, and he then said more seriously, "Can't relate, but I do miss having a bed. And adequate heating."

Nat nodded. "How's Barney?" she questioned softly, watching him as she did. He looked down at the mention of the name and shrugged one shoulder.

"Two more years and he's out of the slammer," he said absently, running a hand through his hair. Natasha caught his hand as he dropped it back to his side, wrapping her own nimble hands around his, bringing them to her heart. He gave her a half-hearted smile in return.

Natasha's eyes focused on a door behind Clint, and she gently let go of his hand, stepping over to it gingerly. Clint followed, trying to figure out her sudden interest to no avail. The door was old and wooden and looked like it was very heavy, with deep carvings on the front. Natasha gripped its brass handle, jiggling it until it gave in, clicking open. She looked back at Clint with an excited smile, pushing the door open and heading inside without hesitation. Clint followed slowly, taking a grip on the back of Nat's shirt - it was too dark to see.

Natasha stopped suddenly, causing Clint to bump into her. He squinted to try to make out what she was seeing, but nothing was visible. Natasha brushed her fingertips along the fabric that hung in front of her then gently pushed it out of the way, gasping slightly at the sight that stood behind it.

They stood in the center of the huge school auditorium, hundreds of empty seats sitting in front of them, almost expectantly. It was such a beautiful room, the dim light reflecting its elegance wonderfully. The walls had intricate arches along the tops, and were painted a rich caramel color. It was obviously a very old auditorium, which only added to its elegance. Natasha slipped her hand into Clint's as they marveled at the sight, and more importantly, the feeling of standing in front of something so beautiful. It almost felt like the seats demanded a performance.

"Wow," Clint whispered, and the sound echoed gently. Natasha stepped out towards the center of the stage, her hand still laced with Clint's so he followed. She turned to see the room in its entirety, but Clint tugged her hand gently to turn her towards him. Her green eyes looked at him questioningly, but all he gave in return was a goofy half-smile. He stepped close to her and, despite his every cell screaming at him not to, he brushed Natasha's soft hair out of her eyes and tangled his fingers in the soft red curls. Her heart skipped a beat at the contact, glancing away from him, her emotions feeling messy.

Her breathing shallowed as she leaned her head into his soft touch. She'd never felt this way before (but she had, including several hours before during her spurt of anger) but this was her first time acknowledging her emotions as real. His eyes were smiling when she looked up at them, as they always were. They were always smiling, even when they were trapped in a stupid school, or when his brother was arrested, or through a million other miserable things that happened to him or them. Nothing could bring him down. Maybe that was what she loved about him.

Her breath caught in her throat. Did she really just think that? ..Did she mean it?

Her flurry of thoughts and emotions stopped when Clint dropped both hands back to his sides. All that was left as emptiness. She felt hollow, and not only missed his touch, but wanted more of it.

Which is why, despite her every logical thought, she stepped forward to catch him right as he turned away, and pressed her lips to his.

Natasha had always thought the term "fireworks" to describe a first kiss was an exaggeration, but here it would be a ridiculous understatement. His touch was electric, and she couldn't get enough. Natasha's arms were wrapped around Clint's neck, and his hands rested on her hips. His head was spinning, and his heart was beating so hard that he was scared she could feel it against his chest. _Did she really just kiss me? Holy shit._

Natasha broke the kiss after a second and opened her eyes, looking up at Clint unsurely. They were so close, closer than they had ever been before. After all those years, there was still something new and exciting about them that managed to make her heart leap, her skin tingle. She loved this, she loved being this close to him, and she wanted to stay in his arms forever. Her eyes were a lot more confident now, a small smile gracing her features.

Clint returned the smile, his eyes reflecting her emotions, and he took her hand and together they stepped back behind the curtain - but not before giving a goofy little bow to their nonexistent audience.

* * *

 **9:36 AM**

Tony awoke to sunlight streaming past his closed eyes. He was cold and, for whatever reason, he was sitting on a tile floor, but he had woken up in weirder places than what he figured was his bathroom floor. He found the energy to open his eyes, and it took him a few seconds to remember why he was in the school bathroom - the /girls/ bathroom, too. He glanced down at the figure curled up on the ground with her head in his lap. Wanda was no longer shivering as badly, which he figured was a good sign. He tapped her shoulder gently. "Hey," he said softly, "Maximoff. It's morning."

The girl took a few moments to respond, but she eventually awoke from her slumber and pushed herself up, sitting Indian-style across from him. They stared each other down for a few moments before Stark gracefully intercepted the moment with an "I'm hungry. Are you hungry?"

As if on cue, the bathroom door opened to show the rest of the team. One by one, they filed in and sat down beside Tony and Wanda, forming a circle. Peggy opened her bag and pulled out a pill bottle and some water, passing it to Wanda. "Coulson said it would help," she said with a smile, and Wanda accepted gratefully. Steve handed Tony a granola bar. Everyone was silent for a few minutes as they got settled. It had been a long night for all of them.

"Apparently they think we'll be out of here in a few hours," Steve informed them after some silence. There were murmurs of approval throughout the group, all excited to finally return to their lives.

"Thank God," Natasha mumbled, leaning back on her hands. She and Clint sat closer together than usual, but nobody noticed. "WiFi and hot food, here I come."

"I'm going to miss you guys," Wanda said softly, staring down into her water bottle. A solemn silence settled between them as they looked around at each other.

Most of them had been near strangers upon arrival, but the past day had been unforgettable. Despite the cold and the discomfort, they had managed to create bonds they'd keep forever. The smiles they shared at that moment reflected that.

So maybe stubborn, playboy Stark wasn't such a bad boy. He was always looking for a good time, but set aside his comfort for a friend when she needed it, because he really did care.

And maybe Wanda was quiet, but maybe she just needed some good friends to bring the laughter to the surface. When she got attached, she would never let go, and this group was no exception.

Maybe Peggy was hard-headed and sometimes harsh, but she was strong and independent, and wasn't afraid to show her true carefree nature when she was around people she trusted.

Maybe Clint was, according to most, a lost cause. But these guys saw how loyal he was, and saw the jokester he was inside. He would be a good friend, and they all knew it.

Maybe Natasha could be brutish, but she loved to laugh, and maybe that's why she fit so well with Clint. Only time would tell, but meanwhile, she'd found her pack, and she would protect them with all her power.

And maybe Steve, despite initially coming off as standoffish, was actually just quiet and gentle and friendly. They were surprised they hadn't seen it before, but he was a great guy, and most of them had misjudged.

They made a great team, and they came to realize it right then. Soon things would go back to normal, and life would settle back into its usual routine. Maybe they'd all sit together at lunch, or maybe they'd just wave in the halls. None of them knew, but they all understood right then that they each would always always have the support of the other five that sat with them.

Tony ran his hand through his thick black hair, a handsome, teasing grin on his face as usual. "Well," he began. "At least I can finally say I've spent the night in the girls' bathroom." He was met with a collective groan as well as a slap on the arm from Natasha, and then they all laughed.

It took a crazy circumstance, but they found their little ragtag family.

* * *

 **A/N: I honestly didn't expect this to be the ending, but that's how it turned out. I have plans for another chapter, so keep an eye out for that, but this is it, guys. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed this story.**


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